Eden Boys' Leadership Academy, Manchester

Inspection of Eden Boys’ Leadership Academy, Manchester 38 Rayburn Way, Manchester, Greater Manchester M8 8DT

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Inspection dates: 23 and 24 November 2021

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 23 and 24 November 2021

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What is it like to attend this school?

At Eden Boys’ Leadership Academy, pupils are diligent, respectful and incredibly proud of their school. Pupils appreciate the high expectations that all staff have of their behaviour and their learning. As such, pupils’ behaviour at all times is praiseworthy. Their attitudes to learning are excellent. Pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) achieve well across the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value diversity. They understand and respect difference in the world and its people. Pupils were resolute in their view that any form of bullying or discrimination is not tolerated. Staff resolve any rare incidents of bullying immediately. Pupils are happy and safe at school. They support each other well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are very strong role models within the local community. They actively participate in charity work. Pupils promote diversity through their support of local interfaith and multicultural festivals.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from an exceptional personal development programme. They engage in a vast array of opportunities designed to develop their character and leadership skills. For example, they relish being anti-bullying ambassadors, reading mentors to each other, and being part of the diversity council. Pupils were effusive about the extensive trips and visits that leaders provide for them.

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better?

Leaders, governors and trustees are unwavering in their commitment to ensure that every pupil, irrespective of their background, leaves Eden Boys’ Leadership Academy equipped with the qualifications that they need for future success. Leaders have high academic aspirations for pupils. They expect all pupils to succeed. To reflect this, leaders have placed the English Baccalaureate suite of subjects at the heart of the curriculum. Pupils, particularly those at key stage 4, achieve well.

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better?

Across the curriculum, leaders have thought carefully about the broad topics and concepts that they intend pupils to learn. They have considered how these topics will cultivate rich opportunities for pupils to develop their vocabulary and cultural awareness. Teachers ensure that all pupils gain the knowledge that they need to deepen their understanding of the world around them.

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better?

Although pupils learn well across the school, in a small number of subjects in key stage 3, leaders do not always consider the content within the topics that they teach in enough detail. In these subjects, leaders are sometimes unclear about the most important knowledge that pupils must learn and the order in which they should learn it. This means that, on occasions, some pupils do not develop the breadth of knowledge that they could in these subjects. 23 and 24 November 2021

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Pupils benefit from teachers’ strong subject knowledge and expertise. Teachers are highly skilled at selecting appropriate activities to enable pupils, including those with SEND, to learn the curriculum well. In most subjects, teachers use assessment skilfully to address any misconceptions that pupils may have. Pupils respond positively to the feedback that their teachers give them. Leaders’ accurate identification of pupils’ needs, coupled with teachers’ effective support, mean that pupils with SEND progress through the curriculum as well as their peers.

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Leaders, governors and trustees are passionate about the importance of reading. They have systems in place to identify and address pupils’ deficits in their reading knowledge. However, while pupils in key stage 3 are helped to catch-up quickly, a few older pupils in key stage 4 are still behind with their reading knowledge.

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Pupils’ exemplary conduct, and their voracious appetite for learning, ensure that lessons take place without disruption. Pupils’ positive attitudes towards their education are further reflected in their excellent rates of attendance.

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Leaders consistently promote the extensive personal development of pupils. They have provided all pupils with rich opportunities to develop their teamwork and leadership skills, as well as supporting pupils’ physical and mental well-being. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern society.

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Governors and trustees are skilled in holding leaders to account for the quality of education that pupils receive. Teachers said that leaders invest in their ongoing development. Staff appreciate leaders’ support with their workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders, governors and trustees ensure a strong culture of safeguarding. They are acutely aware of the dangers that pupils may face in the local community. Leaders’ approaches to ensuring that all staff and pupils are aware of these potential risks are rigorous.

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Safeguarding

Staff receive regular safeguarding training. This enables all staff to be vigilant in identifying and reporting concerns about pupils who may be at risk of harm. Pupils are taught about these dangers, and how to keep safe, through the high-quality personal development curriculum.

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Safeguarding

Leaders’ effective systems, together with their appropriate engagement with external agencies, mean that pupils and their families get the timely support that they need. 23 and 24 November 2021

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects in key stage 3, leaders have not thought deeply enough about the content and the sequencing of knowledge within topics. This means that, in these subjects, some pupils do not develop a deep enough body of subject knowledge. Leaders should ensure that all subject leaders’ curriculum plans in key stage 3 identify the knowledge that they want pupils to learn and the order in which they should learn it.  Leaders’ systems to identify and address the deficits in pupils’ reading knowledge are not being used as effectively as they should across key stage 4. As a result, a small number of older pupils are behind with their reading. Leaders should ensure that their systems to remedy any shortfalls in pupils’ reading knowledge are embedded across key stage 4. This is so that all pupils can read fluently and accurately.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 23 and 24 November 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10212115 Type of school Secondary Comprehensive

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school uses no alternative provision.  The school welcomes boys from the Muslim faith, and boys from other faiths or no faith.  The school meets the requirements of the Baker Clause, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

◼ This was the first routine inspection that the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. ◼ Inspectors met with the principal and the executive principal, the senior leadership team, middle leaders and a range of teaching and support staff. An inspector spoke with the chief executive officer of the multi-academy trust and two members of the local governing body, including the chair of governors. 23 and 24 November 2021

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◼ As part of this inspection, inspectors carried out deep dives in English, mathematics, history, geography, and art and design. Inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited some lessons, looked at pupils’ work and spoke with pupils and teachers. ◼ Inspectors met with groups of pupils from Years 7 to 11. Inspectors also observed breaktimes and lunchtimes. ◼ Inspectors checked the school’s safeguarding procedures and the checks made on staff. Inspectors met with leaders, staff and pupils to evaluate the culture of safeguarding. ◼ Inspectors reviewed a range of documentation, including that relating to safeguarding, the school development plans, self-evaluation documents, curriculum plans, minutes from meetings of the governing body, and behaviour and attendance records.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for staff and the responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for pupils. Inspectors also considered the

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views of the parents and carers who responded to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View. This included the comments received via the free-text facility.

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Inspection team

Rachel Goodwin, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Stephanie Gill Ofsted Inspector 23 and 24 November 2021

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regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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